Youchoose.net “pledge Campaign” Results In Win For Blu-ray

PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 08, 2008 – Thornton, Pennsylvania – YouChoose.net, whose tag line is “Turning Passions into Actions,” was launched in early 2007 with an initial goal, to put an end to the high-definition format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD.  At the time, Mike Dever, YouChoose.net’s co-founder and Chief Energy Officer, described it this way,

“The first Pledge Campaign organized by the YouChoose community is one created to determine the next-generation DVD format.  We realize that the selection of the next-generation DVD format is not a critical life-or-death decision.  There are and will continue to be more important issues facing the world.  We realize that people will still be starving and murderous tyrants will still be murdering after YouChoose a DVD format.  But this is a start.  It is Our Belief that if an entire revolution can begin with a protest over tea, the success of the little “experiment” we are starting here at YouChoose.net can be used by anyone to bring focus and attention to other, more important, issues.”

The ‘experiment’ has been a resounding success.  Since the launch of the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD pledge campaign last year, more than 700 campaigns have been launched on YouChoose.net and more than 100,000 people have joined with each other in supporting a variety of causes.

And what did YouChoose.net’s members have to say about the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war?  The majority supported Blu-ray:  62% for Blu-ray vs. 38% for HD DVD.

When earlier this year Warner Bros. Entertainment sided with Blu-ray and gave up its plans to also support HD DVD, the YouChoose.net forums debates heated up, with many consumers feeling abandoned.  Sam in Sydney, Australia summed it up, “It's a shame many people who bought HD DVD players did so because they felt some assurance that Warner was neutral. I too feel that WB should allow all of these people a free Blu ray player (if they win) in exchange for the HD DVD format.”  

“This was not a simple vote,” said Mike Dever, “YouChoose.net’s members ‘pledged’ to support whichever format was selected by the majority of members at YouChoose.net.  This means that they may have preferred HD DVD to win the format war, but with the victory going to Blu-ray, they have committed themselves to only buying Blu-ray devices in the future.”  And which format did Mr. Dever vote for?  “I was an HD DVD guy,” he says, “with the players often selling for 1/3 the cost of Blu-ray devices and the DVDs themselves also cheaper to produce, I thought that was the way to go.”  But like all others, with the vote now in, Mr. Dever will only buy Blu-ray devices.

To turn your passions into actions, go to YouChoose.net at www.youchoose.net.  You can participate in many of the active campaigns already operating there, or you may start your own campaign and tell your friends to help support it.